Started in Irving Square Park as a writing exercise, the new single from the NYC art-rock band (and “delinquent theatre kids”) is “about escaping from yourself into someone else’s identity”
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That butt, those brows, that hair, those hands, that car, that cat, that hat, that tat, that talent, those eyes, that voice, that vibe, that stare, that smell, that smile, that style, that wit, those hips, those lips, that laugh, that life.
Envious or enamored? In love, in lust or simply obsessed? Hard to tell. All that’s certain is a sense of admiration and infatuation. After all, it’s easy to theorize (and fun to fantasize) about what it would be like to enter the life of someone else altogether. To become one with someone who seems hotter, happier, endlessly interesting and undeniably exotic. To cruise through days and speed through nights living the exciting existence of the person you’ve put on the most prestigious of pedestals. (And, if you’re more of a realistic romantic, simultaneously imagining, and eagerly accepting, the issues you’d inherit through this happening—the incredible opportunity to trade your cliche complaints and stale old insecurities for a new, shiny and far more sexy set of problems.)
While we ourselves are the very, and only, thing we can never flee (wherever you go, there you are), there’s a certain pleasure in imagining the escape. The opportunity to merge with/into another and live a different life entirely. And it’s this desire that brings me, naturally, to the new single from NYC art-rock band Go Home: an ode to the gorgeous, glamorous and infuriatingly fascinating Tara, a character with whom our poetic protagonist finds themself positively possessed—and a song that I could not be more thrilled to premiere here.
From Go Home, this is “Tara Dreams in Spanish.”
Tara dreams in Spanish / Eats an orange, una naranja / Drinks wine straight from the bottle / Works in the big apple
Leading up to the song’s release—it drops everywhere tomorrow—Zak Houston (guitarist and vocalist) shared details on the outdoor session that served as the inception of the song which he crafted, in the end, for his female counterpart to perform.
“I wrote ‘Tara’ in Irving Square Park one day when Marlena and I met up to do some writing exercises. It’s from the perspective of this unnamed character, who can’t figure out whether she wants to be with the titular Tara or just wants to be her.
I liked the idea of a love song (or maybe a lust song) about escaping from yourself into someone else’s identity, even their struggles and pain. In the chorus there’s also another kind of sublimation, this time to fate, using the idea of fate to justify doing what you really wanted to do in the first place.
I don’t care what happens later
I’m a spirit, not a human
I’m an airplane made of paper
As I worked on the song more, it became clear I wanted to see if Marlena would sing it, and I’m so glad she did! I think her performance complicates and deepens the story.”
And on that note, Marlena Mack (keyboardist and vocalist), shared some insight on what it was like bringing Zak’s lyrics to life—the technical challenge, and artistic satisfaction, of embodying this character and sharing their story.
“Performing ‘Tara’ is really gripping for me; Zak wrote something that stretches my range and my stamina. The first two-thirds of the song live in the basement vocally, and it creates this low-down intimacy, like a secret being uttered nonchalantly. Simmering. And then we kick it up an octave and the yearning blows the lid off the pot.
Not to get too actor-y about it (surprise: we’re all delinquent theatre kids) but that contrast completely shapes the character for me. And encompasses the freaky dissonance that is longing for someone while you’re desperately dissatisfied with yourself.
Surgically-precise drums from Travis and buoyant, snarky guitar from Zak rocket-launch the narrative. This is probably the most pop we’ve sounded, and that playfulness also complicates the character—for all of the longing and the escapism, the speaker is vibrant, and frenetic, and euphoric. I have loved crafting this song, and am so so so proud to share it.”
Engineered and mixed by Will Gillman and mastered by Mikhail Shraga, “Tara Dreams in Spanish” serves as a sonic sample—an aural amuse-bouche—of what you can expect from the band’s forthcoming debut album Bug (expected mid-2023), which the band recorded in Chicago with Steve Albini.
Alright! Now that you’ve heard the song, here’s my pitch for the show. I first encountered Go Home when I booked them at Arlene’s Grocery back in September, where they blew my ears/mind/heart with their talent, creativity and chemistry, performing a set of such depth and beauty that the audience, myself very much included, was left stunned and speechless in a way I’ve only witnessed a few times in my life.
Go Home are true artists in every sense of the word, and I cannot wait for you to experience them live—specifically THIS FRIDAY when the trio hits the stage at The Broadway with Shred Flintstone, Two-Man Giant Squid, Talon and Screenager for Bands do BK’s 4th Birthday Bash! (Other opps include Rubulad on February 19th and The Broadway again on March 16th.)
Tix for tomorrow are available here. Would truly love to see you there—
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Follow Go Home at @go.home.exe, buy music on Bandcamp and add the songs to your Spotify playlists!
Photo (provided by the band): Will Gillman